


Friendship Caught Fire

by Geenee27



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 09:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16115594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geenee27/pseuds/Geenee27
Summary: “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” ~ Jane Austen





	Friendship Caught Fire

“I dance to no one's tune, Jack!”

 

With that, The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher stood, glared angrily across the desk at Senior Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, grabbed her bag and walked out of his office. The Detective Inspector watched her leave for a second, then threw his papers down and laid his forehead on his fingers to rub it. _Well, you are an absolute idiot Robinson! What was that all about? Phryne is her own person and you above anyone should know it. What were you thinking? You sounded like a petulant, jealous school boy._

 

His gut twisted at his behaviour and he felt despondent that whatever closeness he and Phryne had been building towards, had just been set back several lengths. He sighed. This woman had him twisted in so many directions he felt at a loss. He was no good at this. Friendships. Relationships. They were complicated... she was complicated. It all seemed so easy when he was on his own. There had been no minefields to navigate, but then again... the loneliness...

 

He frowned and yelled for Collins.

 

Miss Fisher, more than a little annoyed with her crime solving partner, slammed the Hispano's driver-side door a little more forcefully than necessary, engaged the engine, threw it into gear. _How dare he, insufferable, self serving ..... man. Accusing me of withholding information. How... how... dare he think I would compromise an investigation because of a... a... old... whatever. I answer to no one... no one._

 

 _Well, that wasn't exactly true_ , but she was so incensed right now, she didn't want to think about it.

 

She swung the car onto the street and slammed her foot down on the accelerator, almost losing her hat as the process. As she sped towards the RAAF base, she stewed on Jack's remark. It was so out of character for him, it had shocked her. His trust was one of the things she had worked hard to earn and coveted most about their partnership; so she searched what had just happened for clues as to what could have set him off. Admittedly, things were a little off between them at the moment. No doubt partly fueled by the frustration of a thrice thwarted intimate dinner together, caused by a whole host of missteps, the greatest of which was the surprise appearance of her insufferable father. It was... confusing.

 

And if she delved a little deeper, despite her pique, she could possibly admit that it did not help matters when Jack found her already at the scene of the crime, quite cozy with the man who was denying him access to the airbase for investigation purposes. She could see how that would irritate the Inspector. Still, he should have more faith in her.

 

Then her mind turned to their conversation in the morgue. There was no escaping Jack's deadpan expression and the nonplussed look in his eyes as she back pedalled about her relationship with her 'old friend'. She was quite put out that she still had difficulty trying to figure out what that man was thinking.

 

Then again, why should she have to explain herself to Jack. Just because they were friends and working partners did not mean he should be privy to everything in her life. It's not as if we were envolved in any kind romantic entanglement right now, damn the man.

 

Group Captain Lyle Compton was her friend and working partner long before Jack came on the scene and if she wanted to dally with the handsome flyboy, that was none of the Inspector's business. The wheels of her car screeched as she made a tight turn into the drive leading to the airbase's sentry gate.

 

***************

 

Jack Robinson stood before the chain link fence and looked down at a pair of very pretty, petite bare feet, toe nails painted a blood red like her lips, shuffling in the dried leaves. His eyes then travelled slowly up to take in her lack of clothing - except for the Captain's leather coat. The Captain had at least had the time to don more clothes as he stood there attired in union suit, braces and trousers.

 

 _Well, that's me sorted,_ thought Jack. _Why on earth did I ever think I could entice this incredible woman to love a man like me._

 

He tilted his head to one side, conveying his resignation and acceptance, hoping he was able to communicate that point to her, that he understood. She was in no way obliged to live her life in any way other than what she saw fit. And even though it might hurt, he still admired her free spirit and could in no way begrudge her that. Especially after what she had been through in her earlier years. He ducked through the hole in the perimeter fence and strode quickly back to the police motor vehicle.

 

****************

 

“She's an old friend. I believe that's a term I've heard used,” Jack shrugged like it was the most casual utterance in the world and lifted the tumbler to take a sip of his whiskey. Phryne just stared. _Well, that was her sorted,_ she realized.

 

Of course he had woman acquaintances, why wouldn't he. Perhaps romantic relationships. Why not. He was a single pillar now, beholding to no one. He should be entitled to a little happiness. Any woman would be lucky to have him in their life. He was extremely intelligent, honourable, kind, empathetic. Witty and dependable. I'm just that lucky too, to call him friend and partner. Phryne continued to look at him, trying not to telegraph her shock and ignore an emptiness all those thoughts made her feel.

 

*************

 

Guido reached for her as he sat at the garden table and gathered her into his arms as she made to leave. Phryne demurred, citing her reasons for not staying and ravishing him. He murmured his love for her in Italian and she let him down lightly, saying perhaps it would wear off. Walking away, she was momentarily put off stride when he called after her, “Whoever he is, he's a lucky man.” Gaining her momentum after the little stumble, Phryne gave a false laugh. _The man has no idea what he is talking about. He is assuming I love another because I have refused him twice. Nothing more. I am a free spirit after all._

 

*******************

 

Concetta held his face softly and her thumb lightly brushed the corner of his mouth. She could barely look at him, into Jack's eyes, they were so dark and shiny. So full of sadness and concern. She did not want him to see the disappointment and sadness in hers. He was a good man and deserved happiness, a happiness that was not in her possession to give.

 

Jack felt terrible. Concetta was a good woman and deserved a man who could give her everything she could ever want. But it was obvious to them both that he was not that man. He cared for her, but had doubts they could ever be truly happy. Her family would compromise his position as a policeman, but more than that, he did not love her the way a husband he should. He had already lived one marriage that was in the end without passion and he could not do it again. The next time... the next time... he wanted a love that was like a friendship that caught fire. He wanted to feel on fire every time he was in their presence. Lofty aspirations and seemingly impossible. Life was just not like that.

 

********************

 

Jack felt bereft as he got into his motorcar and placed the bottle of wine, that Concetta had pressed on him as he left the restaurant, on the seat beside him. It was getting late but he felt no desire to head home at the moment. He had a lot to process as a result of the events of the last few days, not the least of which was the resolution of a murder case that gave him little satisfaction. Two young lovers' lives now irrecoverably changed – she, a woman who had killed to protect her inamorato and he, a man who had falsely confessed to save her. A selfless love, one where two people were willing to give up almost anything for the other. A tragic love. A passionate love.

 

Jack thoughts drifted to another woman. His friend and detective partner. If it was true - that they could never have that, he would be okay with it, he tried to tell himself. He'd rather have her friendship and affection and trust more than anything, more than nothing at all. He glanced over at the bottle. She had told him once that it was never too late, so he put the motorcar in gear and drove towards St. Kilda.

 

****************

 

Phryne sat quietly on her chaise, feet curled beneath her and chin upon a hand. She had been there quietly contemplating for the last hour, Verdi's opera Rigoletto playing on her gramophone. The melodramatic notes of the composition "La donna è mobile" played in the background and she smiled slightly at the irony. What an apropos song for her musings. _Was she a fickle woman?_ She did not like the sound of that and believed she wasn't. It's just that she had been so sure in her life and now she was not.

 

Her created family, her daughter Jane, her work as a detective had all come as a huge but wonderful surprise to her. She could not image her life now without them or it. And Jack. Her friendship and partnership with a man she had never seen coming. That had been the biggest surprise at all. Could they be more and she not lose who she was. They had worked and fought and played together for over a year now and she had never felt less than herself. On the contrary, she had found so much more of herself.

 

The lovely lady detective had a fear, fear of losing all that if their relationship grew into something more. Could they risk it, should they risk it.

 

She sighed. This was perhaps all moot now. Jack was probably, at this moment, in the arms of the beautiful Concetta and even though it hurt, she could not do anything but wish him happiness.

 

Phryne's reverie was disturbed by a quiet knock on the parlour door and she tipped her head up to see Mr. Butler hovering in the doorway, “The Inspector to see you, Miss Fisher.” The man servant stepped back and here he was.

 

Phryne sat up, her heart sinking a little as she saw the bottle in Jack's hand. _Was he here to celebrate, make an announcement? He looks content, resolved, like he's made an important decision. I will be happy for him. I will._

 

Here face was inscrutable and she blinked as she eyed the bottle then dragged her eyes up to meet his. His were wide and full of ... was that ... devilment.

 

“Not eating Italian tonight, Jack?”, she just could not help herself and if she was reading him correctly, it was all his fault.

 

“Stranos is closed”, he cheeked back in that smooth baritone of his.

 

Phryne started to open her mouth then closed it again, her mind whirling behind a cool facade. Her eyes did not leave his and she countered, with just a tiny hint of coyness, “Look's like you will have to make do with me.”

 

Jack finished their unsubtle, heavily sub-texted banter with, “Looks like we'll have to make do with each other,” and twirled the bottle of wine as he presented the label. The two of them could not prevent wide grins from spreading across their faces and in tandem thought:

 

_Well, that's us sorted then._

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Love is friendship that has caught fire.  
> It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.  
> It is loyalty through good times and bad.  
> It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weeknesses.
> 
> ~ Ann Landers


End file.
